Pleater structure



Nov. 12, 1963 R. P. DOERER ETAL 3,110,427

PLEATER STRUCTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Onginal Filed June 23, 1960 INVENTORS Prey/mp I? Dense BY HERMAN G. Gun/rum R. P. DOERER ETAL Nov. 12, 1963 PLEATER STRUCTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Onginal Filed June 23, 1960 JNVENTOR: file/mp0 P 005252 BY HERMAN G. Gum-7715.? Maw, M

4TTOk/V6VS 1953 R. P. DOERER ETAL 3,110,427

PLEATER STRUCTURE Original Filed June 23, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 RICHARD P DOERER HERMAN G; Gun/men ATTOQNEVS IIIIHUIHIIIIIII Nov. 12, 1963 R. P. DOERER ETAL 3,1 0,427

PLEATER STRUCTURE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed June 25, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 R. P. DOERER ETAL Nov. 12, 1963 PLEATER STRUCTURE Onginal Filed June 23, 1960 Nov. 12, 1963 R. P. DOERER ETAL ,427

PLEATER STRUCTURE Onginal Filed June 23, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS RICHARD I? Doensk United States Patent 12 Claims. (Cl. 223-32) This invention relates generally to a pleater structure and refers more particularly to structure for pleating a web of fabric material.

application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 38,402, filed June 23, 1960. Reference is also made to our co-pending application Serial No. 126,339 filed July 24, 1961, which likewise is a division of Serial No. 38,402.

Reinforced fabric panels of the type to be described herein are manufactured by forming pleats in a web of fabric material and inserting wire reinforcement strands through the pleats. The reinforced web of material may serve as an insulator between the overlying padding and underlying supporting spring structure of an upholstered assembly, for example.

One object of the invention is to provide a pleater structure which will pleat a web of fabric material without tearing or deforming the fibers of the material and Without excessively stressing the material.

Another object is to provide pleater structure including a plurality of separately movable pleater elements and mechanism for operating the pleater elements in predetermined sequence.

Another object is to provide a pleater structure having opposed pleaters each comprising a plurality of pieater elements, and means for moving the pleater elements of one pleater toward those of the other in a predetermined sequence to progressively pleat a web of material therebetween.

Another object is to provide a pleater structure comprising a plurality of laterally spaced pleater elements, and a cam operator movable to sequentially traverse the pleater elements to drive them into operative position with respect to a plurality of opposed peater elements.

Another object is to provide a pleater structure comprising a row of pleater elements and means for moving the pleater elements in sequence to progressively pleat a web from its central portion outwardly in either direction toward its side edges.

Another object is to provide a pleater structure comprising first and second pleaters opposed to each other, the second pleater comprising pleater elements arranged in spaced side by side relation, and power means for sequentially driving the pleater elements of the second pleater toward the first pleater Ito pleat a web of material acting first on the center pleater element and thereafter on the pleater elements to either side thereof in sequence.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a strand reinforced fabric panel formed by the apparatus diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1, with the left hand portion of the panel enlarged.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view diagrammatically showing the complete apparatus for forming the strand reinforced panels of FIG. 1, showing also the positions of various fabric panels as they are advanced through the apparatus.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective diagrammatic view showing 3,1 10,42? Patented Nov. 12, 1963 2 the operations performed on a fabric panel by the apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan View of portions of the apparatus in FIG. 3 including the pleater structure.

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 5.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged elevational view showing a portion of the pleater structure in FIG. 6.

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic view of certain operating components of the pleater structure, in retracted position.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the components in an intermediate position.

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of the pleater structure shown in FIG. 7.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional View taken on the line 11- 11 of FIG. 10.

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-- 12 of FIG. 11, showing the needle and wire strand structure in position between the pleater elements.

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary view illustrating a portion of the device for undulating the wires and showing also the wire cut-off.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and especially to FIGURES l and 2, there is illustrated an insulator pad or panel 10 comprising a length of burlap 12 having its edge portions extended over strips of paper 14. The paper strips extend beyond the edges of the burlap and are turned on to the upper face of the burlap as shown at 16 in FIGURE 2. The turned edge portions 16 are suitably secured to the burlap, for example by gluing, stapling or sewing. To reinforce the panel, a number of strands of wire 20 are provided, each being preferably undulatory or spiral in configuration as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

In order that the ends of the reinforcing strands 20 do not unduly project from the surface of the burlap the reinforcing strands are preferably knotted at their ends "as shown at 22 in FIG. 1. By utilizing paper webs 14 as shown, the wire knots are shielded so as not to form sharp projections which might prove a safety hazard in handling of the panels and which might undesirably lock adjacent panels together when they are stacked on one another.

Several operations are required .to form the articles shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. T bus, the burlap is cut to size, the strands 20 are given their undulatory configurations and threaded through the burlap, the end portions of the wire strands are knotted, the paper Webs are applied to the burlap-strand assembly and folded over the edges thereof, and the entire assembly is adhered together at 13.

Referring to FIG. 4, the fabric burlap material is taken from a supply reel 24 "and advanced beneath a vertically reciprocating cutter 86 which cuts it into individual panels of a predetermined dimension (in the arrow 87 direction). The conveyor means at 70 locates each panel at a predetermined point thereon, and introduces each panel into a pleater mechanism which automatically gives the panel a pleated condition as shown at 263.

While the panel is still in a pleated condition hollow pointed tubes or needles 344 are passed transversely through the pleats in the arrow 345 direction. Immediately thereafter the rolls 142 and 146' are rotated to drive undulatory wire strands 26 into the hollow needles. It will be noted that the wire strands are taken from supply reels 34? in non-undulat-ory conditions. The strand undulations are formed in the undulation-producing mechanism generally designated by numeral 1G1. FIG. 4 shows only one needle and one wire strand, but it will be appreciated from a study of FIG. 3 that in actual practice a multiplicity of the needle-strand arrangements are utilized.

It will be appreciated that hollow tubes 344 act as guides to permit the undulatory wire strands to be rapidly advanced into and through the panel pleats. When the strands have been advanced into the tubes (or while they are being advanced therein) the tubes are retracted from the pleats, leaving the undulatory strands embedded or extended within the pleats. The strands are then cut and knotted at both ends by automatic mechanisms 367 and 369.

After the knotting operations the panel-strand assembly (with the panel still in a pleated condition) is advanced into posit-ion beneath rollers 510 which rotate about fixed axes to iron out the panel pleats and return the panel to a fiat condition.

The panel is then advanced through the space between two traveling paper webs 14 which are taken from supply reels 30 and folded about the fabric panel edges by means of the folder structure 542.

The fabric-wire strand-paper web assembly is subsequently advanced over the adhering mechanism shown in FIG. 4 as comprising the automatic stapling guns 634. The paper webs are at this time still in the form of continuous strips, and such strips are therefore cut through at appropriate points by the automatic cutters 646.

As the last operation the complete panel assembly is passed onto the trap doors 670 and 672, which auto maticaly swing down at a preappointed time to discharge the assembly into a shipping carton 694. When the carton is filled with a certain number or weight of panels it is replaced with an empty carton.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the burlap is supplied from a reel 24 by a suitable feed roll, not shown, which is driven by any source of power. An idler roll 38 overlies and conceals the feed roll in FIG. 3 and serves to maintain the burlap in driven engagement with the feed roll. The

burlap moves through a trough 42 which serves as an accumulator space for maintaining a web supply for the cutoff structure or knife generally indicated at 86.

The burlap is fed from the bin by a rubber coated driver roll 46 and a rubber coated idler roll 48. The arrangement is such that as rolls 46 and 48 draw burlap from the trough, a switch is operated to energize the motor for the feed roll associated with idler roll 38 to replenish the supply of burlap in the trough.

The driver roll 46 is operated intermittently to advance the burlap a predetermined distance beyond the cutter or knife 86. Afer each intermittent advance of the continuous burlap web by the driver roll 46, the knife is operated to sever a panel of burlap from the leading end of the web, and the severed panel is deposited on and received by the conveyor chains 70 which extend longitudinally of the apparatus in laterally spaced relation, being trained over sprockets on the shaft 66 adjacent the cutter and sprockets on the shaft 57 spaced from the shaft 66 in the direction of advance of the fabric through the apparatus, or to the right as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The conveyor chains are driven so that their parallel top flights, which lie in a common horizontal plane, move to the right as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4. The chains 70 are synchronized with the driver roll 46 so that they adchains 70, and the synchronization thereof forms no part of this invention and therefore will not be further described, although a full description is provided in our co-pending application Serial No. 38,402.

As an illustrative example, the roll 46 and chains 70 may be simultaneously actuated to advance the burlap supply past the upraised shear blade 86 a distance of 22 inches, and to carry a previously cut panel 12b 'for the same distance along the conveyor chains. While the roll 46 then remains motionless, the shear blade 86 is operated to cut a 22 inch panel 12a from the burlap supply which is deposited on the rear end of the chains 70. Thereupon the chains 70 are again operated to shift the out panel 12a downstream, or to the right, by a predetermined amount, as for example 8 inches. During this time the roll 46 remains motionless. Thereafter this same cycle is repeated over and over. The chains have longitudinally spaced barbs 71 (FIG. 9) thereon to hold the burlap in fixed positions.

Chains 70 are of a length sufficient to carry the burlap from the burlap panel cutter 86 through a pleating station, needle insertion, wire advancement station, needle retraction station, wire knotting station, and burlap unpleating station. As each panel is moved by the chains 70 it initially passes into the pleater station 96, the function of which is to distort the panel ino a wave-like configuration as shown at 263 in FIG. 4 to permit the wire strands 20 to be threaded therethrough.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the wire strands are supplied from suitable reels 98, there being one reel for each strand to be threaded into the panel. The illustrated machine is designed to simultaneously thread 18 wire strands into the panel, and there are therefore employed l8 supply reels 98 for the individual strands. Each strand as it comes from its reel is not undulatory, and it must therefore be given its undulatory shape before threading through the panel. The mechanism for giving each wire strand its undulatory configuration is diagramamtically illustrated in FIGURES '3 and 4 at 101.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 6, the fixed housing structure 100 carries the wire feed mechanism. Each wire is fed from its reel through the undulating device 101 and into the pleated fabric by the cooperating discs 142 and 146, the wire being gnipped between the smooth peripheries of the discs. In FIGURE 4, only one pair of discs 142 and 146 for each wire is shown, but preferably two pairs of such discs are provided, as shown in FIGURE 6. A fluid cylinder 150 has a piston rod 152 provided with a rack 154 meshed Wllllh gear 156 by a series of distance multiplying gears 158 through :164. A multiplied movement is transmitted to chain 166. Chain 166 drives a shaft which carries a series of gears 170 (18 in the illustrated embodiment), the arrangement being such that each gear 170 meshes with the geared portions of the discs 146 to drive them clockwise (in FIG. 6). The discs 146 are respectively geared to the discs 142 so that as a result the individual wire strands are fed from their respective reels through the undulatory device 101 and into the pleated panel. Suitable one-way clutch means is located in the drive from rack .154 and chain 166 such that reverse movement of the rack will not reverse rotate the discs 142 and 146.

The cylinder 15!) is operated to intermittently feed the 18 wire strands simultaneously from their respective reels. After each feeding movement of the wire strands, the bar 141 extending across the wire strands descends by gravity and pulls a fresh supply of wire from the reels 93. :If the wire on any reel becomes tangled so that it will not readily pull from the reel, that particular strand will remain taut and will prevent the gravitational descent of the bar 141. The bar 141 is connected with a suitable safety shut-off mechanism 131, the arrangement being such that failure of the bar 141 to descend at the dictated time will halt the cycle. The attendant may then take care of any entanglements.

The undulating device 101 is provided to impart a spiral configuration to the wires, and is fully disclosed in our co-pending application Ser. No. 38,402.

Referring to FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be seen that after the individual wire strands have been fed through the device 101 they are forced into a pleater station 96 which operates to form and maintain the burlap panel in a pleated condition during insertion of the wire strands.

.117 (FIG. and having a piston rod 213.

The pleater operation may best be visualized by referring to the schematic illustrations in FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the burlap panel 12c is supported on the conveyor chains 79 such that the panel can be carried toward the pleater. Disposed beneath and between the various chains 76 are the elongated lower pleater elements or bars 284, which are each of a length corresponding to the cut length of the panel (arrow 87 direction in FIG. 4) plus an appropriate factor or margin. The various pleater bars 234 are carried on an elevator 2-88, and when the elevator is raised from its FIG. 8 position to its FIG. 9 position the various pleater bars 284- are projected upwardly between the various chains 7% so as to lift the burlap panel from the chains as shown in FIG. 9. In its FIG. 9 position the panel is located very closely adjacent the lower edges of an upper set of pleater bars 262. There is provided a center pleater bar designated by numeral 275 and other pleater bars on either side thereof. The pleater bars at the left of center pleater bar 275, as well as center pleater bar 276, are suitably notched at their upper edges to form cam surfaces for causing the bars to be camrned downwardly by leftward movement of the overlying cam bar 271. The pleater bars at the right of center bar 276, as well an center plater bar 276, are suitably notched at their upper edges to form cam surfaces registering with cam surface 27-2 of the overlying cam bar 274, the arrangement being such that the right set of pleaters 262, as well as center pleater bar 276, are cammed downwardly by rightward movement of cam bar 274-.

In the preferred operation the cam members or bars 271 and 274 are moved simultaneously in opposite direc tions so as to cross one another and sequentially depress the various pleater bars in the upper set of bars, beginning from the center pleater bar 276 and continuing laterally outwardly with depressions of successive bars on both sides of the center pleater bar. The arrangement is such that initially the center pleater bar 276 is depressed downwardly so as to cooperate with the subjacent pleater bars to tightly grip the center area of the burlap panel. Therefore, as the other pleater bars come down successively the panel will maintain its position relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine such that very little lateral bodily shifting of the panel will occur. Since the outermost pleater bars will not come down until the innermost pleater bars have been depressed there will be no excessive strain placed on the burlap such as might tear or deform the burlap fibers.

The above brief description is intended to explain the general mode of operation of the fabric panel pleating structure. For a more detailed understanding of a con struction actually utilized in a particular embodiment, reference is made to FIGS. 5, 7, l0 and 11.

Referring for the moment to FIG. 5, the pleater station comprises two ribbed beams 107 and 109 supported at their ends by pillars 111. A bridge structure 113 extends across the space between beams 167 and 199 to rigidify themand form a support for a housing 115.

The pleater mechanism is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 7, l0 and 11. Power for the pleating operation is provided by a fluid cylinder 216 mounted on a bar As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, rod 218 extends into housing 115 and carries a rack 22$- which drives a small pinion 222 and a larger pinion 224 via a shaft 223-. Pinion 24 in turn drives another spline gear 226 formed in a portion of the elongated shaft 228. Only a portion of the shaft 228 is visible in FIGS. 10 and ll, the non-illustrated portion extending to the other end of the pleater structure for operation of actuator elements similar to those shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 10. The arrangement is such that the power of piston rod 218 is applied at one portion of the shaft 2-28, and the shaft is utilized to distribute this power to opposite end portions of the pleater elements for obtaining a smooth jam-free operation thereof in a minimum time period (two seconds or less). Each end portion of the shaft 228 is provided with a gear portion 230 which meshes with the teeth 231 on a rack 232. Fixed guide structures are provided at 2-34, 236, 238 and 249' for restricting the rack 232 to rectilinear motion. A side surface of the rack is provided with a set of teeth 244- along substantially its entire length for meshing engagement with the teeth of a pinion 246 carried on an idler shaft suitably journalled in the fixed housing.

The function of pinion 246 is to transmit reciprocation of rack 232 to a second rack 250. For this purpose rack 25% is provided with teeth 252 along its side surface. A fixed guide structure is provided at 254 for restricting rack 256 to rectilinear motion. It will be understood that pinion 24-6 is effective to reciprocate the rack 250 in a different direction than the rack 232. Thus, while rack 232 is moving in the arrow 258 direction, the rack 25% will be moving in the arrow 260 direction, and vice versa.

Racks 232 and 259 respectively carry the cam bars 274 and :271 which serve as actuators for the pleater elements 262, each of which is constructed as a horizontally extending upright fiat plate of a length somewhat greater than the largest cut length of panel to be handled by the apparatus. In a given installation the largest panel cut length is approximately twenty-eight inches, and the pleater elements 262 each have a slightly greater length. Each pleater element at the left of the center pleater eiement 275, as well as center pleater element 276, is formed with two cam slots or notches respectively adjacent the ends thereof. Only one such cam slot 26-4 is shown in FIGURE 11 near end 268 of a pleater element. The cam slots 264 have tapered bottom walls 270 and are aligned with each other and with cam bar 271. Each pleater element at the right of the center pleater element 276 is formed with two clearance slots or notches 273 which are aligned with cam slots 264. Slots 273 are much deeper than slots 264- and are provided to clear cam bar 271.

Each pleater element at the right of the center pleater element 276, as well as center pleater element 275, is formed with two cam slots or notches respectively adjacent the ends thereof. Only one such cam slot 275 is shown in FIGURE 11 near end 268 of a pleater element. The cam slots 275 have tapered bottom walls 232 and are aligned with each other and with cam bar 27 4. Each pleater element at the left of the center pleater element 276 is formed with two clearance slots or notches 283 which are aligned with cam slots 275. Slots 283 are much deeper than slots 275 and are provided to clear cam bar 274.

In the FIG. 7 position of the pleater elements 262, all are in their depressed positions, the rack 232 is in its rightmost position of movement, and the rack 25% is in its leftmost position of movement. Energization of the fluid cylinder to draw rack 22%) to the left is effective through the gearing 222, 224 and 226 to draw rack 232 to the left in FIG. 7. During this leftward movement the rightmost pleater element 252 is allowed to move upwardly under the influence of the biasing springs 278. Springs 278 encircle rods 279 extending upwardly from the pleater elements, and are compressed between abutments 279' on the upper ends of the rods and one or the other of ribbed beams 107, M9, to urge the pleater elements upwardly. Continuation of the rack 232 movement is effective to cause cam bar 274 to successively release the remaining pleater elements to the right of the center pleater element 276, as well as the center pleater element, so that the released pleater elements can be moved upwardly by springs 278. The clearance slots 283 in the pleater elements to the left of the center pleater element clear the cam bar 274 so that it can move without interference. During the simultaneously rightward movement of rack 259, cam bar 271 successively releases the pleater elements to the left of the center pleater element, as well as the center pleater element, beginning with the leftmost pleater element, so that the released pleater elements can be moved upwardly by springs 278. The clearance slots 273 in the pleater elements to the right of the center pleater element clear the cam bar 271 so that it can move without interference.

When cylinder 216 is energized to drive rack 220 back toward its illustrated position the cam bars 274 on racks 232 become efiective to depress the right set of pleater elements against the action of their biasing springs 278. Thus, the inclined cam face 272 on each cam bar 274 initially acts on the tapered bottom wall 282 defined by the cam slot 275 in the centermost pleater element to depress said pleater element to its illustrated position. In like manner, as each cam bar 274 progresses in the arrow 258 direction its cam face 272 engages the tapered bottom walls 282 formed by the cam slots 275 to successively force the rightmost pleater elements downwardly to their FIG. 7 positions. Simultaneously the leftmost pleater elements are forced downwardly by the cam bars 271. Each cam bar 271 has an inclined cam face 271' which first acts on the tapered bottom wall 270 of cam slot 264 in the center pleater element, and then progressively acts on the tapered bottom walls 270 of the cam slots 264 of the pleater elements to the left of the center pleater element to successively depress the same. It will be noted that depression of the pleater elements is in sequence from the center pleater element outwardly toward the endmost pleater element. This arrangement is advantageous in that it permits the fabric panel to be shifted transversely into a pleated configuration without undue stress on the fabric material (as will be explained hereinafter).

The pleater elements are shown in their depressed or lower positions in FIGURE 7. When in elevated position, the bottoms of clearance slots 273 and 283 contact the undersides of cam bars 271 and 274 respectively to determine such elevated position.

The pleaters 262 cooperate with the lower set of pleaters 284 shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 12. This lower set of pleaters is fixedly carried on a supporting plate 286 which is mounted atop an elevator structure 288 by means of the beam elements 290, the arrangement being such that during upward movement of the elevator 288 the spaced pleater elements 284 pass upwardly between the conveyor chains 70 to lift the burlap panel therefrom. Power for the elevator 288 is derived from a fluid cylinder 292, and suitableguiding of the elevator is obtained by the piston-cylinder assemblies 294 between the elevator and machine base 296.

In operation of the pleater structure, when the chains 70 are moved to convey a fabric panel into the pleater station the rack 220 is in a leftward position (FIG. 7) and the elevator 288 is in a lowered position. Thus, the upper and lower pleater elements are spaced from one another, and sufficient clearance is provided for introduction of a fabric panel into the space between the pleater elements. When the fabric panel is entirely between the pleater elements the chains 70 are halted and the cylinder 282 is energized to move the lower set of pleater elements 284 upwardly to lift the fabric panel from the chains. Cylinder 216 is then energized to drive the rack elements 232 and 25!) toward their FIG. 7 positions so as to sequentially form pleats in the fabric panels 7 as shown in FIG. 12.

It will be noted from FIGS. 7, 11 and 12 that the lower edge portion of each pleater element 262 is provided with a series of slots 300. In the illustrated mechnumber of slots 362 in its upper edge, the arrangement being such that when the pleaters are in their FIG. 7 positions a series of eighteen passages is formed through the pleater element assembly.

The purpose of these passages is to permit hollow needle structures to be driven through the fabric pleats, said needle structures serving as guides for subsequent insertion of the spiral wire strands previously described.

Power for the needle insertion operation is derived from a fluid cylinder 3% shown in FIG. 6. The piston rod for cylinder 306 carries a rack 368 which meshes with a gear 310 carried by the shaft of a larger gear 312. Gear 312 in turn meshes with a gear 314 carried by the shaft of a relatively large gear 316 which meshes with the gear 32% carried on the shaft of a larger gear 313. The gear 318 meshes with a rack 326 which is connected at one end to a cross-head 330' slidably supported on fixed guide rods 334. The cross-head 330 carries eighteen hollow needles 344, the arrangement being such that energization of cylinder 306 is effective to move rack 326 to the left as viewed in FIG. 6 to thereby carry the needles 344 through the pleater elements and pleated fabric panel as shown in FIG. 12. The slots 3G0 and 302 in the adjacent edges of the pleater elements 262 and 284 line up transversely of the machine when the pleater elements are moved toward each other as shown in FIG. 12 to provide elongated passages adapted to receive the respective needles. The needles are actually hollow tubes and are inserted through the pleated fabric prior to insertion of the wires to serve as guides and prevent deflection or jamming of the wires during insertion of the latter.

The leading edge of each needle is sharply pointed as at 368, with the edge portion 362 tapering back at a small angle to form a pointed end operative to easily penetrate the burlap panel during high speed insertion of the needle. When the needles are located within the pleater elements as shown in FIG. 12, the cylinder r (FIGS. 5 and 6) is energized to feed the Wire strands through the spiralling mechanism and into the hollow needles to the FIG. 12 position. The hollow needles protect the wire strands during insertion so they will not interfere with the burlap threads.

It is contemplated that the insertion of the needles will be completed before introduction of the wires into the pointed ends of the needles. However, the needles may retract during the advance of the wires, the most important aim being to have at least the ends of the wire strands within the needles as the strands are fed through the pleats. However, the needles may remain in the extended position within the pleater station during the entire strand advancing operation.

After insertion of the Wire strands into the extended hollow needles, the hollow needles are withdrawn to leave the strands threaded through the pleats of the fabric panel. The wire strands will then be severed and knotted at both ends. Preferably, the strand knotting operation is performed at the conclusion of the strand insertion operation while the fabric is in a pleated condition. The left hand knotter mechanism is shown at 367 and the right hand knotter at 369. These knotter mechanisms will be only briefly described and for a complete description thereof reference is made to our copending application, Serial No. 38,402.

The left hand knotter 367 includes a vertically reciprocable member 384 which is moved up and down by the fluid cylinder 408. Referring to FIG. 13, the member 334, in addition to carrying certain knotter mechanism not shown, also carries a knife 2110 which traverses a cutoff block 206, carried by the outlet end 198 of the wire undulating device 101. Hence, on downward movement of the knotter member 384 to knot the left end of the inserted wire strands, the wire strands are initially severed from the supply at the outlet of the undulating device. After the severed ends of the inserted strands have been knotted, the fluid cylinder 408 is reversed to retract or raise the member 384 of the knotter mechanism 367.

The kuotter mechanism 369 is operated simultaneously with knotter mechanism 367 and functions to knot the other ends of the inserted strands. The cross-head 448 is operated by a fluid cylinder, not shown, to control the knotter via connections 459 and 454.

During the knotting operations the fabric panel is held in a pleated condition with the needles of course withdrawn. The wire strands 20 frictionally engage the burlap fibers and tend to hold the pleated form of the panel. Accordingly, after the inserted wire strands have been knotted, the fluid cylinder 216 is operated to allow the upper pleater elements to return to the position of FIGS. 8 and 9, the cylinder 292 is operated to lower the elevator 288 carrying the lower pleater elements to the position of FIG. 8, and the strand reinforced panel is moved to a flattening station which has the rubber coated rolls 510. The panel is carried from the pleater to the flattening station by the conveyor chains 7 during subsequent intermittent operation thereof. The rolls 510 serve to flatten the pleated panel so that it assumes substantially the configuration shown in FIG. 2. The flattening station is more fully described in our copending application, Serial No. 38,402.

Thereafter, the conveyor chains 70 transfer the panel through the space between the travelling paper strips 14 which are taken from supply .rolis 3i) and folded about the edges of the fabric panel by means of the folder structure 542. In FIG. 3, the panel 12 is shown between the paper folder structures. Panel 1212 is approximately at the unpleating or flattening station and panel 12d is in an inte mediate position.

The stapling guns 634 in FIG. 4 secure the folded paper strips to the edges of the reinforced panel, and thereafter the complete panel assembly is transferred to the point of discharge over the trap doors 676 and 672 which automatically open to deposit the panel assembly into a shipping carton.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Pleater mechanism comprising first and second pleaters opposed to one another, said first pleater in cluding a row of laterally spaced pleater elements, and means for moving said pleater. elements toward said second pleater beginning at the center of'the row and then in sequence toward either end thereof to pleat a sheet of material therebetween including a first cam bar supported at one side of the center of the :row for movement to the other side thereof and a second cam bar supported at said other side of the center of the row for movement to the said one side thereof, means for moving said first cam bar to said other side of the cen ter of the row and said second cam .bar to said one side thereof, means providing cam surfaces on the pleater elements at said other side of the center of the row in the path of said first cam bar to be engaged thereby, and means providing cam surfaces on the pleater elements at said one side of the center of the row in the path of said second cam bar to be engaged thereby, said pleater elements being moved toward said second pleater by said cam bars when the cam surfaces on said pleater elements are engaged as aforesaid by said cam bars.

2. Pleater mechanism comprising first and second pleaters opposed to one another, said first pleater including a row of laterally spaced pleater elements, and means for moving said pleater elements toward said second pleater beginning with the center pleater element and then the pleater elements to either side in sequence to pleat a sheet of material therebetween including a first cam bar supported at one side of the center pleater element for movement to the other side thereof and a second cam bar supported at said other side of the center pleater element for movement to the said one side thereof, means for moving said first cam bar to said other side of said center pleater element and said second cam bar to said one side thereof, means providing cam surfaces on said center pleater element and the pleater 10 elements at said other side thereof in the path of said first cam bar to be engaged thereby, and means providing cam surfaces on said center pleater element and the pleater elements at said one side thereof in the path of said second cam bar to be engaged thereby, said pleater elements being moved toward said second pleater by said cam bars when the cam surfaces on said pleater elements are engaged as aforesaid by said cam bars.

3. The pleater ll'lfiChBlllSIILdfifillfi/d in claim 2 wherein the pleater elements at said one side of said center pleater element are formed to clear said first cam bar and the pleater elements at said other side thereof are formed to clear said second cam bar.

4. The pleater mechanism defined in claim 2 wherein said means for moving said cam bars are operated simultaneously.

5. The pleater mechanism defined in claim 4 wherein said second pleater includes a row of laterally spaced pleater elements respectively offset relative to the pleater elements of said first pleater .to extend into the spaces therebetween upon movement of the elements of said first pleater toward said second pleater.

6. The pleater mechanism defined in claim 5 wherein spring means are provided to urge the pleater elements of said first pleater away from said second pleater.

7. Pleater mechanism comprising upper and lower pleaters each comprising a row of laterally spaced parallel pleater elements, the pleater elements of each pleater being supported for vertical movement from an inoperative position toward the pleater elements of the other, the pleater elements of said upper pleater being positioned above the pleater elements of the lower pleater in the inoperative positions of said pleaters, the pleater elements of said upper pleater being parallel to and respectively laterally ofiset with respect to the pleater elements of said lower pleater so that the pleater elements of said upper pleater respectively overlie the spaces between the pleater elements of said lower pleater in the inoperative positions of said pleaters, means for raising the pleater elements of said lower pleater from inoperative position to present a sheet of material supported on the upper edges thereof in operative position with respect to said upper pleater, and means for moving the pleater elements of said upper pleater downwardly from inoperative position into the spaces between the pleater elements of said lower pleater when said lower pleater is raised as aforesaid to pleat a sheet of material therebetween, said moving means acting first on the center pleater element of said upper pleater and then on the pleater elements to either side in sequence and including a first cam bar supported above the pleater elements of said upper pleater at one side of said center pleater element in retracted position for movement to the other side thereof and a second cam bar supported above the pleater elements of said upper pleater at said other side of said center pleater element in retracted position for movement to the said one side thereof, means for moving said first cam bar to said other side of said center pleater element and said second cam bar to the said one side thereof, means providing cam surfaces on the center pleater element of said upper pleater and on the pleater elements thereof at said other side of the center pleater element in the path of movement of said first cam bar to be engaged thereby, means providing cam surfaces on the center pleater element of said upper pleater and on the pleater elements thereof at said one side of said center pleater element in the path of movement of said second earn bar to be engaged thereby, said pleater elements of said upper pleater being moved downwardly toward said lower pleater by said cam bars when the cam surfaces on said pleater elements are engaged as aforesaid by said cam bars, and spring means urging said pleater elements of said upper pleater upwardly to inoperative position.

8. The pleater mechanism defined in claim 7, wherein said cam bars in their retracted positions are engaged by the pleater elements of said upper pleater to determine the inoperative positions thereof.

9. Pleater mechanism comprising first and second pleaters opposed to one another, said first pleater including a plurality of laterally spaced pleater elements, and means for driving said pleater elements toward said second pleater individually and in sequence comprising a cam member supported for movement transversely of and across said plurality of pleater elements, and cam surfaces on said pleater elements positioned in the path of movement of said cam member to be engaged thereby, said pleater elements being driven in sequence toward said second pleater as aforesaid by said cam member where the cam surfaces on said pleater elements are engaged by said cam member.

10. In combination, upper and lower pleaters each comprising a row of laterally spaced parallel pleater elements, the pleater elements of said upper pleater being parallel to and spaced above the pleater elements of said lower pleater, a conveyor extending between said first and second pleaters for moving a sheet of material to operative positionv between said pleaters, said conveyor comprising laterally spaced strands extending parallel to the pleater elements of said lower pleater in offset relation thereto so that the pleater elements of said lower pleater are directly beneath the spaces between said strands,

'rneans for elevating said lower pleater to project the with the elevated lower pleater in pleating said sheet of material.

11. In combination, upper and lower pleaters vertically spaced from one another, said lower pleater comprising a row of laterally spaced parallel pleater elements, a conveyor extending between said upper and lower pleaters for moving a sheet of material to operative position between said pleaters, said conveyor comprising laterally spaced strands extending parallel to said pleater elements in offset relation thereto so that said pleater elements are directly beneath the spaces between said strands, and means for elevating said lower pleater to project the pleater elements thereof above said strands through the spaces therebetween and lift a sheet of material therefrom and for thereafter relatively moving said pleaters toward one another to pleat the sheet of material.

12. Heater mechanism comprising first and second pleaters opposed to one another, said first pleater includ- 7 ing a plurality of lateral-1y spaced pleater elements, and means for driving said pleater elements toward said second pleater individually and in sequence comprising an actuator supported for movement relative to said pleater elements and operative during such movement thereof to sequentially engage said pleaterelements and drive the same as aforesaid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. PLEATER MECHANISM COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND PLEATERS OPPOSED TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID FIRST PLEATER INCLUDING A ROW OF LATERALLY SPACED PLEATER ELEMENTS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PLEATER ELEMENTS TOWARD SAID SECOND PLEATER BEGINNING AT THE CENTER OF THE ROW AND THEN IN SEQUENCE TOWARD EITHER END THEREOF TO PLEAT A SHEET OF MATERIAL THEREBETWEEN INCLUDING A FIRST CAM BAR SUPPORTED AT ONE SIDE OF THE CENTER OF THE ROW FOR MOVEMENT TO THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF AND A SECOND CAM BAR SUPPORTED AT SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE CENTER OF THE ROW FOR MOVEMENT TO THE SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FIRST CAM BAR TO SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE CENTER OF THE ROW AND SAID SECOND CAM BAR TO SAID ONE SIDE THEREOF, MEANS PROVIDING CAM SURFACES ON THE PLEATER ELEMENTS AT SAID OTHER SIDE OF THE CENTER OF THE ROW IN THE PATH OF SAID FIRST CAM BAR TO BE ENGAGED THEREBY, AND MEANS PROVIDING CAM SURFACES ON THE PLEATER ELEMENTS AT SAID ONE SIDE OF THE CENTER OF THE ROW IN THE PATH 